Essence James, 35, of Allentown denied it last week. Now she owns up to murder.

Last week, an Allentown woman tried to plead guilty to third-degree murder for fatally beating her 15-month-old baby. But midway through the hearing, Essence James denied causing her child's death.

Family members and supporters of James, 35, shouted out in excitement at that hearing, apparently relieved that James wouldn't admit killing her child. It kept alive the possibility that the woman who brought baby Cordero James into the world didn't take him out of it.

But on Thursday, James had a much smaller audience. One of the two supporters in the crowd cried as James went through with the plea and admitted she beat her son to death.

James' deal caps her minimum sentence at 15 years. Her maximum sentence cannot exceed 40 years.

She is scheduled to be sentenced in April.

"If there's any more wavering about what she did to that child, or any more wavering on her culpability, the plea will be rejected," Dantos said before James was led back to jail. "I won't even bring her up for sentencing. Those days are done. You own it."

If James had taken the case to trial and had been convicted of first-degree murder, she would have been forced to serve life in prison with no chance of parole.

Last week, when Dantos asked James if she fatally beat the child, James paused silently for several seconds before blurting out, "No, I did not," and shaking her head and saying "no."

Her family members and supporters began shouting in the courtroom, supporting her decision to plead not guilty.

But at Thursday's hearing, only two of James' supporters attended and they declined to comment.

James' former boyfriend, Michael James, 36, is charged with being too high on marijuana to render aid to the child after Essence James beat him. He's scheduled to enter a plea at the end of the month.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Matthew Falk has said the two were not married but coincidentally share the same last name.

Falk said Michael James has told police that Essence James took her baby into the bathroom of their North 15th Street home on March 8, 2013, and it sounded as if she were beating him.

Michael James told authorities Essence James then placed the baby in a bed next to him and went out for the night. Michael James said he had smoked marijuana, and that caused him to doze off. He woke up hours later and heard the baby gasping for air.

The baby was taken to the hospital but died from his injuries, authorities said. An autopsy determined he had injuries to the head, face, neck, torso, mouth and liver, and his manner of death was ruled a homicide.

The investigation found Essence James had been abusing her son since February 2013, according to court records. The autopsy also found the baby had hemorrhages, rib fractures and a broken collarbone.

Michael James was charged with reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, child endangerment and possession of drug paraphernalia.